The cavern shook as the sorcerer’s shadows poured toward us, a tide of claws and teeth. The Ash Queen’s fire blazed brighter than ever, holding them back in bursts, but even her strength was beginning to fade. Elias’s wolf tore through the creatures, his golden eyes wild, but still they kept coming.
The heart pulsed at the center of the chamber, its light flickering under the sorcerer’s grip. The glow was raw, alive, its power pressing against my skin like fire and lightning all at once. I staggered closer, drawn to it, even as fear coiled inside me.
“That’s the only way.” I said, breathless. “The heart—it’s the only thing strong enough to destroy him.”
The Ash Queen snapped her head toward me, her face grim. “If you take it into yourself, girl, the realm will bind you here. You’ll neve
